This invention pertains to a coil handling device. More particularly, the invention pertains to a coil manipulating and transporting device for lifting and rotating coiled materials.
Many materials are supplied in coiled form. For example, strapping material, such as plastic or steel strap is often supplied in coiled form on, for example, a spool or spindle.
In handling coiled strapping material, most strapping machines require that the coils be positioned on the machine with the longitudinal axis of the coil in a horizontal orientation. That is, the coils are mounted to the machine so that the material feeds from a top or bottom of the coil and so that the coiled material can rotate around a spindle or axis positioned in a horizontal orientation.
Coiled strapping material is often quite heavy and can be bulky, vis-à-vis storage and handling. As such, it is desirable to package, store and ship the material in the same orientation in which it is placed on a strapping machine. This readily facilitates handling and transport of the spools from any shipping pallet or container to the strapping machine.
One drawback to shipping the coiled material in this fashion is that the coils can only be shipped or packaged in a single layer. That is, because the coils are resting on a periphery of the coil, only one layer of coils is practicable. That is, it is impracticable, if not impossible to stack coils one on top of another when the coils are resting on the coil periphery.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a coil handling device that permits shipping and storage of coils in a more efficient, e.g., stackable, manner. Desirably, such a device permits handling of a coil shipped with the longitudinal axis vertically oriented. Most desirably, such a device facilitates engaging an individual coil and manipulating that coil to position (the longitudinal axis) it from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation. Still more desirably, such a device readily separates stacked coils from one another, manipulates the coils to reorient the longitudinal axis and is used to transport the coils from one location to another to, for example, load a coil of strapping material onto a strapping machine.
A coil handling device engages a coil having a depth and an interior surface that define a diameter and a longitudinal axis, and is configured to lock the coil thereon with the longitudinal axis oriented vertically and reorient the coil to position the longitudinal axis horizontally. The device permits handling of coils that are shipped and stored in a stacked orientation and facilitates engaging an individual coil and manipulating that coil to position the longitudinal axis from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation for placement on a strapping machine.
The handling device includes a transport assembly including a base and a plurality of casters, a lift assembly mounted to the base that includes a drive and is configured to lift a load carried thereby, and a manipulating assembly.
The manipulating assembly is mounted to the lift assembly. The manipulating assembly includes a pair of spaced apart support arms and a pivoting carriage carried by the support arms. The carriage includes a locking arm for engaging the interior surface of the coil along the depth of the coil and a thrust lever positioned opposite the locking arm.
The thrust lever includes a bearing arm and a lever arm disposed at an obtuse angle to one another. The thrust lever is mounted to the carriage for pivotal movement between a first position in which the locking arm and bearing arm readily insert into the coil and a second position in which the bearing arm is urged against the interior surface of the coil to lock the coil between the locking arm and the bearing arm.
The carriage pivots between a first position in which the coil longitudinal axis is vertical and a second position in which coil longitudinal axis is horizontal.
In a current embodiment, the carriage includes a pair of transverse support members that have pivot members at ends thereof for pivoting the carriage. The carriage further includes first and second flange arms extending transverse to the transverse support members. The locking arm is mounted to the first flange arm and the thrust lever is mounted to the second the flange arm.
A positioning member can extend from the first flange arm, opposite the locking arm. The thrust lever can cooperate with the positioning member to lock the thrust arm when the bearing arm is urged against the interior surface of the coil to lock the coil between the locking arm and the bearing arm and to lock the thrust arm at a predetermined position for inserting the bearing arm and locking arm into the coil. The positioning member can be further configured having a lift lock configured to cooperate with a lock on the lift assembly to secure the coil to the handling device when the pivoting carriage is pivoted to position the coil longitudinal axis horizontal
To facilitate locking the coil to the carriage, a hook-like projection can extend from an end of the locking arm. The hook-like projection can be removably attached to the carriage for engage the coil at juncture of the coil interior surface and a bottom surface of the coil. The locking arm can be fabricated in various sizes to accommodate coils of different depths.
In one embodiment, the transport assembly base includes a pair of angled caster supports extending therefrom. The angled caster supports define an open region therebetween. In this arrangement, the manipulating assembly is readily disposed above a coil that is on a pallet having multiple layers of four coils per layer, for lifting any of the coils from the pallet.
Alternate embodiments of the carriage include a camming element and a lever arm operably connected thereto for moving the camming element. Preferably, the camming element is formed as a rotating camming drum, and the lever arm is formed as a handle for rotating the camming drum. The camming drum is movable by movement of the handle between a first position in which the locking arm and camming drum insert onto the coil and a second position in which the camming element is urged against the coil to lock the coil between the locking arm and the camming drum.
The locking arm can be configured to engage an interior surface of the coil and the camming element can bear against an inner surface of the coil opposite the locking arm. Alternately still, the locking arm can engage an outer surface of the coil and the camming element can engage an the interior surface of the coil radially inward of the locking arm. The locking arm can include an elongated upper support portion that extends along the upper surface of the coil to support the coil.
The coil the locking arm can further be configured for engaging the interior surface of the coil when the camming element engages the outer surface of the coil.
For lesser depth coils, the device can include a flange arm. The locking arm and the camming element can be mounted to the flange arm. A second locking arm can engage the interior surface of the coil when the camming element bears against an interior surface of the coil opposite of the locking arm, and when the second locking arm engages the outer surface of the coil opposite the camming element.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, in conjunction with the appended claims.